The Conquest of New Spain

A first-person account of the overthrow of Montezuma's doomed Aztec Empire by the ruthless Hernan Cortes

Bernal Díaz del Castillo, a soldier under Cortes, presents a fascinatingly detailed description of the Spanish landing in Mexico in 1520. In this vivid, powerful and absorbing account of one of the most startling military episodes in history, he details their amazement at the city, the exploitation of the natives for gold and other treasures, the expulsion and flight of the Spaniards, and their regrouping and eventual capture of the Aztec capital.

Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.The Conquest of New Spain - Bernal Diaz Translated with an Introduction by J. M. Cohen

Map of Mexico City and Lake Texcoco
Introduction
Preliminary Note
The Expedition of Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba
The Expedition of Juan de Grijalva
The Expedition of Hernando Cortes: Preparations
The Voyage
Doña Marina's Story
A Pause on the Coast
The Stay at Cempoala
The Foundation of Vera Cruz
The March to Cingapacinga and Return to Cempoala
Events at Vera Cruz: The Destruction of the Ships
The Tlascalan Campaign
Peace with Tlascala: Embassies from Mexico
The March to Mexico
The Entrance into Mexico
The Stay in Mexico
Montezuma's Captivity
Cortes in Difficulties
The Flight from Mexico
Cortes Collects Fresh Strength
Expeditions around the Lake
The Siege and Capture of Mexico
Map of the March from Vera Cruz to the City of Mexico
Map of the Coastline of Mexico

Spanish historian Bernal Diaz del Castillo (c.1492-1584) was a soldier in the army of the conquistador Cortes in the attack on the Aztecs.

J M Cohen translated widely from French and Spanish, including for Penguin Classics Montaigne's Essays and Cervantes' Don Quixote.